This invention relates to apparatus for excavating, handling and loading materials. More particularly, the invention relates to a handling and loading apparatus carrying a longitudinally extendable conveyor for loading materials forward of the apparatus onto the conveyor for removal rearwardly of the loading apparatus.
In excavating and handling topsoil, sand, gravel, aggregates, coal, and crushed ores and the like, including bulk stored grains, it is generally necessary to load and move large volumes of such material and excess time and motion wasted in loading such material greatly adds to its cost of production and handling. In addition, it is difficult to unload such materials, or other similar unconsolidated granular materials, from vessels such as ships or barges from a dock which is generally at a higher elevation than the deck of the vessel. In addition, the edge of the dock limits forward movement of the loading means and thus limits accessibility to the vessel.
The known prior art includes draglines, bulldozers, cranes, bucket excavators and front-end loading machinery for scooping up and loading such material into a fixed conveyor system or into another vehicle such as a truck or rail-car for transportation. Self-propelled excavating and conveying machines have been utilized as exemplified by the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,366,480 (Beckwith); 2,384,242 (Fitch); 2,518,964 (White); 3,206,048 (Weiss); 3,241,693 (Stroker); 3,517,840 (Schneider); 3,547,287 (Cunningham); and 3,720,331 (Kamner).
However, all of such prior art utilizes scoops and buckets to pick up and load the material onto a conveyor system or other vehicle for transport. None of the prior art in the above-recited patents that utilize built-in conveyor systems discloses a conveyor apparatus utilizing a conveyor system that is maneuverable forward of the apparatus both longitudinally and in limited arcuate vertical movement to emplace the loading end of the conveyor in any desired position in contact with the material at differing levels, even below the level of the apparatus itself, in order that a handling means mounted on the apparatus can continuously move material onto the loading end of the conveyor. Such continuous loading without the necessity of the bucket or shovel to lift the material and swing it to a second position to unload the material can save a considerable amount of time in handling such materials.
Accordingly, one primary feature of the present invention is to provide a handling and conveying apparatus carrying a longitudinally extendable conveyor assembly that is also adapted for limited arcuate vertical movement.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a conveyor means having a loading end positionable longitudinally and vertically forward of the apparatus in contact with the material to be moved for facilitating direct loading of the material.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide an articulated boom carrying a blade that is positionable forward of the apparatus to cooperate with the movable loading end of the conveyor above described in order to provide nearly continuous loading of the material onto the loading end of the conveyor with a minimum of lost motion.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide means of moving the boom and handling means and/or the conveyor means forwardly of the apparatus to increase the reach of the apparatus from a fixed location.